Coin-operated bowling-game apparatus.



,3 3'8- PATENTED JAN. 13,1903. R. E. GATTER.

' COIN OPERATED BOWLING GAME APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1902.

QBHBETS-SEEET 1 no MODEL.

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PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

No. 7184338. I

.R. B. GATTYER.

00m OPERATED BOWLING GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 5, 1902. v

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ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH E. GATTER, NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN- OPERATED BOWLING-GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,338, dated January 13, 1903. Application filed July 5, 1902. Serial No. 114,410. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH EsGATTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York,borough of Manhattan, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Operated Bowling- Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a parlor or indoor bowling-game apparatus of that class which is operated by a coin and in which the pins are simultaneously set up by suitable settingup mechanism after the shot has been made; and the invention consists of a coin-operated bowling-game apparatus which comprises an inclined alley-board, a pin-platform,-pins on the same, means for setting up the pins, a barrel for directing the ball at the pins, a

spring-actuated hammer for shooting the ball,

from the coin-chute; and the invention consists, lastly, of the mechanism for setting up the pins after a shot has been made, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in'the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved coin-operated bowling-game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the front end of the game, showing the ball-shooting and coin-supplying mechanism on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing one end of the pin-setting device, also on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the opposite end of the pin-setting device, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the front end of the barrel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a box or casing, which is preferably made of wood and which is provided at its front or shooting end with a compartment. In the casingA is supported an inclined alley-board B, which carries at its rear end a-pin-platform C, on which the pins D are supported.

en pplying, and pin-setting devices. The ballshooting device consists of a barrel 1), which is supported centrally on the lower front end of the inclined alley-board B between curved abutments 0, extending inwardly toward the front from the side walls of the casing, so as to guide the ball to the barrel upon its returning after being shot. At the front end of the barrel is arranged a f ulcrumed hammer H, which is provided atits lower end with a heel h and at a point above the fulcrum is connected with a helical spring h, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, by which the hammer is snapped to strike the ball positioned in the end of the barrel after the same has been actuated by the coin-operated device. The ball is supported in the front end of the barrel 1), which is slightly inclined, by means of the diametrical lugs b, which are shown in Fig. 7. The lower end of the hammer-actuating spring h is attached to the transverse paring end of the casing from the main portion of the same. The curved heel hprojects into the path of a coin K, which is supported in the keeper k, that is attached to a crankshaft L, which latter is turned in bearings at the interior of the casing, one end of the crank-shaft being extended through the side wall of the casing and provided with the hand-crank Z,'the motion of which is limited by the exterior stop k,.as shown clearly in Fig. 1. 'A torsion-spring Z is placed on the shaft L, one end of the spring being attached to the shaft, while the opposite end is attached to the front wall of the casing. Above the keeper k is arranged a coin-chute 0, which is located vertically above the keeper when the latter is in normal position of rest, said coin-chute being attached to the top part a of the front portion of the casing and provided with a mouth-plate 0 for dropping the coin. Below the inner end of the coin-chute is arranged a bent spring .9, which is attached to the top part a and disposed in front of the coin-chute, and it is adapted to move under the end thereof to prevent a coin from being dropped through the same until the keeper is returned below the same after actuation of the hammer, such position being shown in Fig. 4-.

When the coin is dropped through the coinchute into the keeper, the crank-shaft is turned by taking hold of the hand-crankl and moving the same forward in the direction of the arrow. (Shown in Fig. 1.) This produces the sliding of the coin along the curved heel of the hammer, so as to turn the hammer on its pivot against the tension of its spring, and upon the coin passing beyond the heel the hammer springs back under the tension of its spring and strikes on the ball, so as to shoot the same forward against the pins. The coin then drops from the keeper, as soon as the same has passed the heel of the hammer, into a locked drawer m at the lower part of the compartment A. After the pins have been knocked down by the ball they are reset for the next shot. This is accomplished by the pin'setting device, which consists of a lever M, that is pivoted at its front end to a lug n on the front wall of the casing, and the rear end of the lever is provided with a triangular portion M, having as many holes as there are pins D. Each pin is provided at its bottom with a cavity, in which is pivoted a link 13, that is connected by a wire P passing through a holein the enlarged triangular portion of the lever M, said wire being provided at its lower end with a weight 10. In the normal position of the lever the triangular portion is located adjacent to the under side of the alley-board B,as shown clearly in Fig. 6, so that the weight of the lever is taken off the pins, which then rest freelyin upright position on the pin-platform C, being balanced by the weighted wiresf Alongside of the front end of the pinsetting lever is arranged a fulcrumed trigger T, the front end of which is actuated by the lower end of the stem of the buttonN, which is depressed by the hand of the operator when it is desired to set up the pins, as the pressing down of the button produces the tilting of the fulcrumed trigger, so that its rear end is lifted and simultaneously the lever M falls to its lowermost position, the trigger '1 releasing the latch R, which holds the lever M elevated. The force of the lever in falling acts upon the weights to to exert a pull upon the pins through the wires P, which causes the pins to assume an erect position on the pin-platform. On the release of the button Nthe fulcrumed trigger returns again into its normal position under the action of the spring T, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

During the turning of the operating-crank for actuating the hammer the coin-keeper k engages the forwardlybent end of a fulcrumed latch R and turns the same so as to be engaged in a recess 25 at the under side of the trigger, which looks the same in that position to maintain the lever M raised in order that the weight of the same will not rest upon the pins, which should be free to fall upon being acted upon by the ball. As soon as thepin-setting device is to lee-actuated the latch is released from the trigger by tilting the latter so as to permit the actuation of the pin-setting lever without being interfered with by the safety-latch.

My improved coin-operated game apparatus forms an entertaining indoor game and is preferably played by a number of persons as a competitive game, the number of pins knocked down being counted after each shot to thus determine the skill of the players. After each shot made by the action of the crank-lever and the coin the pins are set up again by the pin-setting device, so that the game apparatus is ready for the next shot, and so on.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a coin-operated bowling-game apparatus, the combination of an inclined alleyboard, a set of pins at the rear end of the same, a barrel at the front end of said board, a ball for said barrel, a fulcrumed and springactuatcd hammer for shooting the ball, said hammer being provided with a curved heel located in the path of the coin, a spring-actuated crank-shaft provided with a keeper for the coin, and a coin-dropping chute in line with said keeper when the shaft is in normal position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a coin-operated bowling-game apparatus, the combination of an inclined alleyboard, aset of pins at the rear end of the same, a barrel for shooting the ball at the front end of said board, means for guiding the ball to said barrel after a shot, a fulcrumed and spring-actuated hammer for shooting the ball, coin-operated means for actuating said hammer, pin-setting mechanism, means for actuating said mechanism, and a lockinglatch cooperating with said coin-operating means for locking the pin-setting mechanism while the shooting of the ball takes place, substantially as set forth.

3. In a coin-operated bowling-game apparatus, the combination of an inclined alleyboard, a set of pins at the rear end of the same, a barrel at the front end of the board, means for guiding the ball to the barrel, a spring -actuated hammer for shooting the ball, a coin-operated mechanism for actuating the hammer for throwing the ball, a pinsetting mechanism, means for operating the same, and a latch-lever fulcrumed to the hammer mechanism and adapted to be actuated by the coin-operated means, said latch my invention I have signed my name in presengaging the pin-setting mechanism during ence of two subscribing witnesses. the time the ball is shot so as to hold the same in rigid position without acting on the pins RUDOLPH GATTER' while the ball is shot, substantially as set Witnesses: forth. PAUL GOEPEL,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as O. BRADWAY. 

